Catching Lightning in a Bottle
by TheBookyMonster
Summary: Falling in love is easy. Falling in love with the right person and having them love you back? It's as easy as catching lightning in a bottle. Scarlett O'hara is queen bee at Clayton County High School. Rhett Butler is the new kid in town with a bad reputation. How will the two react when they meet? My idea of how GWTW would go if it were set in high school during the 21st century.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"I can't believe that you two slacked off during class again. I know you two don't care if you fail your project, and Tom doesn't either, but what about Boyd? He studies so hard, and I know he's hoping to ace the midterm coming up." I watched, amusedly, as the two boys in front of me laughed. They were the perfect example of the average teen – pimply faces, long gangly limbs that looked like they had been used for tug of war and last but not least: wide, mischievous grins that identified them as troublemakers. Stuart and Brent Tarleton were Clayton County High School's two biggest pranksters, and everyone knew it.

"Aw, Boyd'll be fine. He doesn't have to study to get good grades in Chemistry. And besides, we'd have to ask for an extension on the project any way." Stuart said, resting his feet on my desk, nearly knocking my purse down in the process. I caught it before all of my emergency makeup could fall out and set it on the floor, rolling my eyes in the process.

"And why is that?" I asked, feigning interest. Stuart and Brent shared a look and grinned.

"Football tryouts are coming up. We'd have to start practicing." Brent answered, sounding smug. Pff. As if he was announcing his candidacy for president. I groaned irritably. The Tarleton twins frowned.

"What's wrong?" Stuart asked, removing his feet from my desk so he could lean forward concernedly.

"I HATE all of this talk about football! Every guy I talk to doesn't shut up about it! I don't care about football, and I don't understand why every single guy at this school thinks it is so fascinating. It's just a bunch of men running around and tackling each other. It's boring." I snapped. Brent opened his mouth to speak, but a look from his brother shut him up.

"We're sorry, Scarlett. I know that girls just don't get football. It's just that we have good players this year! I know that by the time we finally go up against Union High we have kicked their –"

"So are you two going to the Wilkes's party tomorrow?" I interrupted.

I had to change the subject or I was going to scream! Everyday it was the same thing with these two. 'Oh, we know girls don't get football, Scarlett, but we'll win this year for sure!' 'With me on the team there's no way we can lose to those stupid Union High guys.' Or my personal favorite, 'Scarlett, do you promise to give me a kiss every time I make a touchdown?' Even my own father was obsessed with the sport. It felt like the only reason why he ever asked me about school was to find out who was trying out for the team.

"Yeah, definitely! It'll be so cool! I know Ashley will throw the best party ever." Brent answered, getting excited.

"I heard that Mr. Wilkes was going to let us do whatever we wanted. I told Ashley I'd bring the booze." Stuart replied.

I smiled at that. Ashley's father was the coolest dad ever. He said that we were going to do stuff like that anyway, and he might as well make sure that there is some safety measures put in place. I bet he would have a bunch of designated drivers on staff ready to take home any drunken high schoolers.

"Ashley's cool. I like him, even though he's kind of a nerd sometimes." Brent interjected.

"He is _not _a nerd!" I exclaimed. Brent and Stuart looked at me weirdly.

"Are you kidding me? Scarlett, the guy has always got his nose in some book. He chooses studying over partying, and the only reason why he's trying out for the football team is because he says he needs some form of extracurricular on his college applications. Don't get me wrong, he's an ok guy, but seriously?" Stuart pointed out, waiting for me to agree. Instead I glared at him.

Ok, maybe Ashley wasn't the biggest jock in the school, and maybe he did do a lot of reading, but so what? Ashley was sweet, and funny, and really, really, really cute… Anyway, he was also the smartest guy in school no doubt, and he was going to make it into a good college. He was going to be a billionaire by the time he was thirty, and I was going to be right there next to him!

"Anyway, he's perfect for Melanie Hamilton." Brent said, nodding his head knowingly. I felt an icy shiver go down my spine, and I resisted the urge to shudder.

Melanie…Hamilton?

"What do you mean, Melanie Hamilton?" I asked, fighting to keep the panic out of my voice.

"Uh, yeah. Everyone's been talking about it. They've been going out for a few of days now. This party is their first as a couple." Stuart said, his eyes watching my face carefully. I smoothed it out into a slightly curious, but overall apathetic look. It took more effort than I was used to.

"Oh. I was under the impression that everyone was talking about her brother Charles Hamilton and Honey Wilkes. They've been pretty obvious for a while now." I said, sounding barely interested.

"Yeah well, Ashley and Melanie are the 'it' couple right now. Charles and Honey will have their time in the sun later." Stuart replied.

_Ding. Ding. Diiiing._ I instantly felt relieved that the boys had to go, but I continued to keep it off of my face. The second they were gone, that's when I could let the utter despair show on my face. Ashley had a girlfriend? And it wasn't me? How could this happen? I mean, come on. I was way hotter than Melanie Hamilton. She was tiny, and had the figure and face of a middle schooler. She had stringy blonde hair and was so nerdy and boring. Ashley didn't belong with _her._

"That's the bell. Well, we have to go to class. We'll see you at the party?" Stuart asked me. I nodded, my eyes flitting down to my purse. I started digging through it in order to avoid having to show my face to the Tarleton twins any more. They kept on turning around to look at me, so I grabbed my pocket mirror and pulled it out to check my makeup. My face looked pale and sickly, and my eyes were wide and a little over bright. I grabbed my emergency makeup and started trying to bring more color into my face, but after a while I snapped the mirror shut angrily and shoved it into my bag.

"What's wrong, Scarlett?" I looked up. Mammy, one of my freshmen, was looking concernedly down at me. I stared grouchily at the chalkboard in the front of the classroom.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." I snapped. She snorted skeptically.

"Yeah right. Seriously though, what's wrong? Is there anything that I can help with?" She asked. I shot her a dirty look. Mammy was a sweet girl, a freshman that I've been friends with since I was little.

At Clayton County High School, most freshmen were unofficially 'assigned' to a portion of the school's upperclassmen. The idea was so that the school could choose some of the better, brighter juniors and seniors to show the freshmen the ropes. Of course, this really just meant that the seniors and juniors had a bunch of kids running around and doing small little jobs for them, like carrying books, helping them study, or doing homework. The students were supposed to be chosen based on grades or extracurricular accomplishments, but it was really just a popularity contest. The more freshmen a person had, the more popular they were. I myself had almost twenty freshmen followers.

"Go to class Mammy. I don't need you right now." I said coldly. My teacher, Ms. Tara, was starting to write today's notes on the whiteboards. Class was going to start soon.

"That's a load of crap and you know it. What's wrong? Are you sick? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Mammy."

"I'm going to have someone bring you your sweatshirt from your locker."

"I don't want my sweatshirt. It makes me look frumpy and fat."

"It also makes you look warm. Here, I've texted Rosa to bring you your sweatshirt. She should be here any minute now."

"Don't you have class to go to?" I asked pointedly. She raised her eyebrow at me.

"I have study hall first period. My teacher doesn't care if I'm late. You look like you're about to cry. Should I tell the teacher that you need to go home sick?" She asked, her hand going to my forehead. I shook off her motherly gesture.

"I'm _fine_, Mammy. Go to class. _Now._" I said frigidly. Mammy looked hurt.

"Don't you be mean to me; I'm just trying to be a good freshie. Until you graduate, it's my job to make sure you're doing well so you can get into a good college. And gosh darn it that's what I'm going to do!" She said. I rolled my eyes. She turned around huffily, her fingers flying on her phone's keyboard. She was probably texting my other freshmen that I was in a bad mood so watch out. I shivered involuntarily. Where the heck was Rosa with my sweatshirt?

"Alright class, let's start on the warm-up that I have here on the board!" Ms. Tara called out to the class. The classroom was filled with talking, laughing, and pencils scratching out the answers. After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door, and the entire class went silent. Ms. Tara opened the door. Rosa was standing just outside of it, holding my ugly grey sweatshirt. The classroom giggled as I strode up to the door and grabbed the stupid thing out of her hands.

Freshmen were so annoying sometimes.

"So Rhett, what do you think about my idea for the project?" I looked up, bored. I was leaning back in a library chair, my feet on the table. Frank Kennedy, my project partner for AP US History, was looking at me anxiously. I shrugged.

"Sounds good to me. I can get my part of the project done easily enough, but if you need help on your end then I guess I can stay a little while longer." I said, hoping he would decline. The last thing I wanted to do was spend my Friday night at the library working on some stupid history project. I was new to town, and I needed to get out and see what the heck there was to do in town. Frank checked his watch.

"Actually, I can't work on it some more. There's this party at Ashley Wilkes's house tonight…" He said. My ears perked up. Party?

"Ashley Wilkes. Sounds hot." I said, only vaguely interested in the girl.

"Ashley's a dude."

"Oh. Then don't ever tell anyone that I said that." I responded, embarrassed.

"You know, it's pretty much an open invitation. If you want to come…" He started. I thought about it for a minute. A party could be fun. After all, how else could I start getting a good rep?

"Are you sure that this Ashley guy won't mind me crashing?" I asked, not particularly caring if he did mind. Frank shook his head vigorously.

"No, of course not! Ashley's a really cool guy. He's got a house big enough to fit the entire school, and his dad lets us bring alcohol as long as we promise not to go driving afterwards." He said. I paused, pretending to think it over.

"Sure, why not? Thanks man." I said.

My first party at Clayton County. Should be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

(Scarlett's POV)

"MOOOMM! Scarlett won't let me borrow her green dress!"

"MOOOMM! I don't want her to wear it!" I ran into the sitting room where my mother was sitting. She was slumped over in front of a TV tray, a steaming hot dinner casting its scent all over the room. She had deep bags under her eyes. I guessed she had a really rough day at the hospital. I felt the urge to apologize for bothering her and leave quietly. She worked so hard; I didn't want to add to her stress.

"Mommy, make her give me the dress. Frank Kennedy is supposed to be at the party and I want to look good. I don't have anything else to wear!" Suellen ran in after me, almost crashing into me in her haste to complain to Mom. I rolled my eyes. Whenever she wanted something, Suellen would always try to act like a baby, a little girl who had to be protected from her mean older sister. Mom sighed and put her fork down.

"Sweetheart what's wrong with your pink dress? You look very pretty in that." She said. I winced at the weary tone. Mom worked too hard and everyone knew it. She practically ran the hospital, and sometimes when she had time she volunteered at the free clinic in downtown Clayton County. Dad hated that, because some of the worst people lived down there, all of the poor people and the crooks.

"But Mom I want to wear Scarlett's dress!" Suellen whined, stamping her foot on the ground. I groaned. Really? The foot stamp?

"Suellen, she said no. So go away and stop making everyone around you miserable. If that's possible." I snapped. Suellen glared at me, and I knew that if Mom wasn't right in front of us, she would have tried to hit me. She screamed in frustration and ran away, stomping up the stairs and slamming her door shut behind her. Spoiled little brat.

"Thanks Mom." I said. Mom didn't respond. She didn't want to make it seem like she had picked a favorite.

Later that night, I heard Dad's keys clang as they hit the key dish. I only had half an hour before I go to the party, and I still hadn't picked something to wear. Mammy was lazing on my bed, snacking on a bag of chips that she had grabbed. She was supposed to be helping me get ready.

"What about those skinny jeans? You know those black ones that tuck in so well with your boots?" She said in between munches. I glared at her through the mirror.

"And look like a cow next to skinny little Melanie Hamilton? I don't think so. I can't wear anything that she would look good in." I said irritably. She paused in mid-crunch, and I realized my mistake.

"What's Melanie Hamilton got to do with it? You've never compared yourself to her before. You've never compared yourself to anyone, really." She asked warily. I shrugged.

"I'm just saying. I don't want anyone thinking that I look bad tonight. I worked so hard to get the reputation of being one of the hottest girls in school, and the last thing I want is to have that go down the drain." I explained. I picked up a dress that I had bought a long time ago and held it up. Mammy looked it over and frowned.

"You think that your parents would let you go out in that? My dad would lock me in my room just for owning a dress like that." She commented. I rolled my eyes and went into my bathroom to pull it on in private.

The dress was mint-green, matching my eyes completely. The wrap skirt part started at the waist and was tight-fitting, and it ended mid-thigh. The top material was sheer and a little loose, the shoulders were bare, and admittedly the neckline showed a little bit too much to be tasteful, but I figured that a good necklace would cover up anything that I needed. I remembered buying that particular dress as a joke to annoy my father.

"How do I look?" I asked, though honestly I didn't want to hear Mammy's answer. I slipped on black stilettos and grabbed a black leather jacket to cover up before Dad could have a heart-attack. Mammy was watching, disapprovingly, as I started putting makeup on my face.

"The girls are going to say that you look like a hooker." She said honestly. I frowned at her as I slipped on a few bracelets, a big chunky necklace, and matching earrings. I curled my hair and brushed it out, and gazed at the finished product. I didn't care what the girls thought. I didn't care what anyone thought, except Ashley.

A fantasy flashed through my mind where Ashley immediately broke up with Melanie after seeing me. Then he pulled me to him, asked me to be his girlfriend, and then…

"SCARLETT! WE'RE NOT WAITING FOREVER! IF YOU'RE NOT DOWN HERE IN FIVE MINUTES THEN I'LL TAKE SUELLEN AND LEAVE YOU AT HOME!" I heard my father shout from downstairs. I rolled my eyes. He wouldn't leave me and we both knew it. Dad could pretend to be strict as much as possible, but everyone in the entire town knew that he was a sweetie.

"Coming!" I shouted back. I glanced at Mammy, who grabbed my math textbook.

"I'll get to work on your homework." She said. I bit my lip. I usually never made one of my freshmen do my homework. It wasn't right, and it certainly didn't help me. But I paused and thought about Ashley and the party. If I went, I wouldn't have any time to finish it later. After all, if all went according to plan, then I would be busy going on dates with Ashley this weekend.

"SCARLETT!" Dad shouted one more time. I shrugged.

"Thanks Mammy. See you!" I said, shuffling as fast as I could down the stairs. It was a difficult thing in heels, trust me.

Suellen and I piled into Dad's precious sports car, and we took off. The streets were quiet, and that made me nervous, with only my thoughts keeping me company. Suellen was still mad that she had to wear her own sweater, Dad didn't care about the party, and I couldn't think about anything to talk about. When we came to a stop sign, Dad rolled down the windows to discuss cars with Brent and Stuart's mom, who was pulled up right next to us. I rolled my eyes and drummed my fingers anxiously on my thigh. Every second that Dad was talking to Mrs. Tarleton, Ashley was getting closer to Melanie!

"Dad, the light's green." I said the second that it changed. Dad ignored me and continued talking.

"Oh, really? I though that the 2010 model was better." He called out, talking about some stupid car.

"Dad, we're going to be late." I pointed out, letting a slight whine enter my voice.

"Just a minute Scarlett." He said, holding his finger up while Mrs. Tarleton talked. I huffed angrily and slumped back into the seat, crossing my arms across my chest angrily.

"-boys will be trying out for the team this year." I heard Mrs. Tarleton say. I felt frustrated tears prick at my eyes. If they started talking about football, then there was no way that we would be arriving at the party any time soon.

"Oh? Are you going to drive them to the games yourself?" He asked.

"And let them near my precious cars? I don't think so. There is no way that I'm going to let them take my cars away from me; I don't care what they are doing." She responded. Dad opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. I put on my best smile, and I rested my hand gently on his arm.

"Daddy, please, can we get going? I know you love your cars and football, but you guys can talk about it later." I said, trying to do my best puppy dog eyes. He sighed, but he turned to Mrs. Tarleton and said good bye.

"I don't have to be taking you to this thing, you know." He said grumpily. I hid my smirk.

"I know. Thank you so much, Daddy." I said sweetly, and he grunted and fell silent. Like always, he was all bark and no bite.

…...

(Rhett's POV)

The party that Frank took me to was pretty dull. Sure, there was booze, but other than that there wasn't much to do. The girls were either plain, too friendly to be a good challenge, or they whispered to each other every time I made eye contact with them. I passed by one girl, and over heard her whispering to her friend, "I heard that he got a girl pregnant over at Charleston and he refused to admit it."

I chuckled darkly at that. Surprising, really, how all of the bad rumors about me were already being spread throughout the school that I had only been going to for a week. Oh well. Let them say what they wanted about me. After all, girls do love a bad boy.

"Hey, Rhett." I turned away from the loud gossiping pair. Frank was dragging some guy that looked about my age towards me. He was a half a head taller than me, but he was skinny and lanky. He looked nervous meeting me. I chugged down the remainder of my spiked punch, watching him over the rim of my red SOLO cup.

"Uh, I'm Ashley Wilkes." He said awkwardly. I finished with my drink and then held out my hand for him to shake.

"Rhett Butler. Thanks for letting me in." I said, being polite. Ashley still looked uncomfortable. I guessed that he had heard all of the rumors about me.

"No problem. Frank said that you were an ok guy." He said, shifting his feet anxiously.

"I like to think so." I said snidely. Ashley looked around for an excuse to leave. I smirked. He may throw a party with alcohol at it, he may be popular at this school, but no way would he be the cool guy at my old school.

"Well, I should go find Melanie. Hope you guys enjoy the party." He said, and then he walked off to go sling his arm around a tiny, skinny girl. She was pretty, I'll give her that, but she looked more like a freshman than an upperclassmen. Frank smiled, and excused himself as well, saying something about a girl named Suellen.

I made my way towards the punch table, wanting to get a little bit drunker than I was before I decided to talk to anybody else at the party. I stayed near the wall, choosing instead to people watch as I drank. Frank had gone over to what looked like a sophomore girl. She was probably rich, wearing a tight designer pink dress. She was leaning heavily on Frank's arm, and she was trying to flirt. Honestly, when I looked at her I just wanted to cover her up in an oversized sweatshirt and take her home. She was too young to be at this kind of party.

My eyes wandered, and they landed on this girl. She wasn't exactly beautiful, but for some reason, every single guy was drawn to her. She was surrounded by guys, and she laughed loudly at every single one of their lame jokes. I noticed her dress and snorted. It was short, tight, and showed just enough skin without making her look too much like a harlot. I laughed at the transparency of the guys around her. Even poor Frank was enchanted with her, to the disappointment of the little girl.

I was just about to write the girl off as a tease and a slut when I noticed her eyes. They kept on flitting over to Ashley Wilkes, as if watching to see if he was noticing her flirting. I could see her feel eyes on her, and she looked over at me. I could help it; I started laughing. She was a predator pretending to be prey, and she was constantly hunting down everything that she doesn't already have. She was just like me. She shot me an icy glare and then turned away, her nose high up in the air.

"This year for sure we are going to kick Union High's ass." I heard somebody say.

I snorted quietly to myself. I saw their football team last year. There was no way that they would have turned it around that well in the span of one year. Guys all over the party started to cheer their agreement. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. One guy, I had no idea what his name was, stumbled over to me and threw his arm around my shoulders, bringing attention to me. Part of me wanted to shrink back and hide, but that wasn't very manly. I stood tall and waited for the drunk guy next to me to say something.

"Why don't we get the new guy's opinion?" He asked the crowd. It went mostly silent, listening intently for my response. I paused, knowing that the right thing to say would be agreeing with them.

"Sorry boys, but it's not possible for you guys to beat Union this year. I mean, maybe y'all can beat Winfield Scott High, _maybe_, but Union's defense is way too good. They didn't graduate many seniors last year, and the one that they did weren't their best. I doubt Clayton County will even get a field goal on them." I said. Huh. In my head, it sounded a lot different. Like 'yeah, dude. We're going to kill them' different. Oh well. I wasn't wrong.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop 30 degrees. The guys were outraged, but they didn't want to start a fight and risk being sent home by Mr. Wilkes. The girls, though most didn't know what I said, were glaring at me just because they knew I had pissed off the guys. I cleared my throat awkwardly, but I kept my face calm and confident. I stayed by the punch bowl, drinking and keeping my head down as much as possible. Slowly but surely, the noise returned and the party gradually went back into full swing.

I made my way into one of the empty bedrooms that Mr. Wilkes had cleared out for the drunk kids who needed to pass out. I flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. This was going to be an interesting senior year, especially if I kept on pissing off all of my classmates. Not that I regretted what I said. They all needed someone to bring them down to earth, and I was definitely not going to help them with their delusions.

I woke up an hour later. The party had quieted down some, but the music was still playing. I blinked tiredly, wondering for a minute what woke me, and then I heard it again. Someone was opening the door. I sat up immediately, debating on whether I should pretend to be asleep again or excuse myself. In my struggle and surprise, I ended up falling to the floor on the other side of the bed. I guess I hadn't completely slept off all of the punch.

"Scarlett, what is it? Do you have some big secret to tell me?" I heard Ashley Wilkes say, laughing.

"Ashley, I love you." I blinked. That voice… it was the same one that I heard laughing at the stupidest jokes. The girl in the green dress was in the room with me. Poor Ashley had no idea how to react. He laughed nervously.

"Scarlett, that's not funny." He said.

"I know. I'm not trying to be funny." She said. I'm not sure who I felt more sorry for, the rejected Scarlett or Ashley for having to turn her down.

"Why are you doing this? You know I'm dating Melanie Hamilton. We can't be together." He said angrily.

"Ah ha! So you admit that if you weren't dating Melanie you'd be with me. I knew you liked me!" She said, sounding confident. I heard a squeak as Ashley fell back onto the bed. I gulped, not knowing what I was going to do if things escalated any more. Apologize and leave? Stay hidden?

"Scarlett, stop! I'm dating Melanie, and that's that. I'm on the football team, she's a cheerleader. We're both towards the top of the class, and everyone in the entire school says that we're the best couple. It's what is expected of us. Even if I did like you, I wouldn't give up all of that. All of our reputations are at stake. I'm sorry, Scarlett." I sucked in a breath. Scarlett must not like that.

"But Ashley-"

"No." I heard a slap. I winced in sympathy. I hate getting slapped, and it wasn't pleasant listening to it happen to another person either.

"I'm sorry." Ashley said once more, and then I heard footsteps and the door shut behind him. The bed squeaked once more, and Scarlett threw herself down. Again, I debated as to what I should do, but my decision was made for me. I sneezed.

"Who's there?" Scarlett said. I sighed. No use in hiding it now. I sat up and revealed my face.

"How long have you been there?" She asked, and her pale green eyes widened. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh don't worry. I heard the entire thing. Thank you for the entertainment." I said. She lunged across the bed, trying to attack me. I scooted back, grinning. I loved a feisty girl.

"You little-" She started, but I don't think she knew how to finish the sentence. No one ever did, really.

"Thanks again." I said. She paused for a second, and then followed my eyes. Realizing how far her neckline had been pulled down in and effort to strangle me, she shot up and tugged at her dress, trying to keep it in place. I laughed at her efforts, her attempts to cover up top made the dress ride up, showing quite a bit of leg. She let out an indignant shriek coupled with a foot stamp, and she grabbed a coaster from the nightstand by the bed and threw it at my head. I doubled over, laughing, and it whizzed over me and crashed into the wall behind me. Scarlett ran out of the room, angry as a hornet.

Yup. Nothing like a feisty girl.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

(Scarlett's POV)

The next day found me at the movies with Charles Hamilton. I barely remembered that I said yes to going out with him; it was all kind of a blur. After I left that stupid guest room and that horrible jerk, I went straight to the punch bowl and drank and drank. Charles came up to me and made some stupid joke (I remember that because I had to force myself to laugh), we talked, and then I saw Ashley dancing with Melanie.

My breathing became shallow, and the next thing I knew I had grabbed Charles's hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. There were a bunch of loud cat calls and someone called out 'Nice one, Hamilton!' That awful guy that was eavesdropping on Ashley and my private moment was laughing his butt off in the corner. I glared at him for a few seconds before concentrating on Charles.

And now I'm his girlfriend.

Nice job, Scarlett.

Anyway, the oaf obviously didn't go on many dates. Then again, he was Melanie Hamilton's brother. What could I expect? He was awkward and shy, and I tried to make it obvious that this was all a one-time thing. He tried that lame move with the yawn and tried to get his arm around me, but I slapped it away. He blushed and apologized a lot.

He tried talking about the football team when he was driving me home, but I told him I was tired and didn't want to talk. He nodded, apologized again, and remained silent throughout the rest of the ride. I ran into my house, didn't pause at all before going inside, and I fortunately made it out kiss-free.

I had thought that the date had gone so badly that there was no way that he would ask me out again. But unfortunately for me, he said that he had had a wonderful time and wanted me to be his girlfriend. Inside, I laughed at the suggestion, but somehow my lips formed the word yes. So there I was, stuck being Charlie Hamilton's girlfriend.

Yay me.

Football tryouts started that week, and Charles went all out. He got the jersey, and wouldn't shut up about the stupid game. He tried to get me to join the cheerleading squad, but I told him that I would never join those annoying tramps. He muttered something about his sister not being annoying or a tramp, but he didn't say anything else about it. But other people did. I was dating a football player after all; it was expected of me. Eventually, after enough pestering from everyone, I finally gave in and joined the stupid squad.

That's when he broke his leg and got cut from the team.

It was stupid really. His mom freaked out and pulled him out of school for a while to take him to some physical therapist. It wasn't like he had broken his neck or his back or anything. But the next thing I knew, everyone in school was staring at 'Charlie Hamilton's ex', and I wasn't really allowed to do anything fun. All the guys stayed away from me because I was their friends' ex, and they had to respect 'the bro code'. So I was at my locker, cursing my bad luck. I mean, I didn't fall down the stairs, why did I have to bear the burden?

"Hey, Scarlett!" I turned around. Melanie was behind me. She somehow got the idea that simply because I dated her brother, we were best friends. I wanted so bad to just rip her probably fake blonde hair out.

"What?" I asked, trying to get her to leave me alone. She didn't.

"So I was wondering…do you maybe want to work on the Home Ec project with me?" She asked. I tried to think of some excuse not to, but I couldn't.

"Fine." I said. She smiled beatifically, and then she turned around and walked away. I glared at her back, imagining my gaze burning a red hot hole into her. She was so plastic. All of those smiles, that sweet talk, that stupid heart-shaped locket that she always wore. It was disgusting, and I didn't understand why a guy like Ashley would ever want a girl like her.

If he didn't, he did a really good job hiding it. He was always around her, with his arm slung over her shoulder and her picture in his locker. I sometimes felt his eyes drift towards me, but every time I looked he was kissing Melanie on the cheek or pulling her closer to him. I couldn't stand it!

I hated being a cheerleader. I hated being Charlie Hamilton's ex. I hated the fact that every time I saw Ashley he avoided me like the plague, as if he thought I was going to ruin his life or something. I really hated having to put up with Melanie. And most of all, I hated Rhett Butler.

Rhett Butler. The guy who eavesdropped on one of the most personal conversations of my life. And _laughed_. I've heard the rumors about him. That he was a drug dealer, that he did drugs himself, that he got a girl pregnant and refused to admit he was the father, and then beat up her brother when the brother tried to make him admit it. Rhett Butler was Clayton County High's newest bad boy, and he seemed to like that position.

And for some reason, he became obsessed with me. Every day after lunch, he would walk me to math, and then to biology, and _then_ to lit. He would help me with my homework when I didn't understand it. If it were anyone else, I'd say he liked me. But this was Rhett. Every time he walked me to class, he kept making snide comments about 'Prince Ashley'. When he helped me with my homework, it was to laugh at me for being so stupid. He knew the truth, and he was going to hold it over me for the rest of my life.

"Surprising really."

I whipped around. Rhett was leaning against the locker next to mine, his hand crossed around his chest. See what I mean? I should put a restraining order on him! He flicked his head to get his hair out of his face. His black hair was swept lazily off to the side, like he had just gotten up and just combed his fingers through it. He was tan, and pretty muscular for a guy who said he spent all of his time studying. Like anyone believed him. He was probably just behind the school smoking a joint or something. Anyway, I glared at him.

"What do _you_ want?" I asked, heaping on the disgust in my voice.

"You're not going to ask why I think it's surprising?" He asked, still smirking. I rolled my eyes.

"What's surprising?" I asked, though I immediately regretted it.

"It's surprising that you're even bothering to try being nice to her. I didn't think that a girl like you would care if she got her feelings hurt."

"What do you mean, a girl like me?"

"A girl who's out for herself. You figure out what you want and then don't stop until you get it. Then you move on to the next shiny toy that you see. You're always on the hunt. You, my dear, are a lioness surrounded by a bunch of gazelle. I respect that. Not many girls are like you." I blinked. Um. What?

"Ok...weird. I'm going to go to class. Please don't follow me." I said, very uncomfortable now. He laughed.

"Too bad that the one gazelle you've set your sights on is already taken." He said. I slammed my locker shut and stormed off. That-that jerk! Why couldn't he just let me suffer in peace?

"Scarlett! Are you ready for cheer practice? We have one of the biggest games of the year coming up, soon. Sherman High's coming." Pitty Hamilton, a senior at Clayton County and one of the cheer captains this year, was nearly bouncing in her place. I shrugged.

"I'll be there in a second. I have to go get changed." I said before ducking into the nearest bathroom.

Did I mention that I hated Rhett Butler?

(Rhett's POV)

So I was almost wrong about the school's football team. They were doing really good, they've been beating almost all of the teams we've been up against so far. I've been getting a little bit of crap for not joining the team, but honestly, who cares? They were letting their grades slip because they were concentrating on the team too much. By the end of all of this, I was going to be on top and they were not.

At any rate, the whole school hated me, which made life there interesting. Girls whispered about me behind my back, and the guys bumped my shoulders in the halls 'on accident'. They gave me funny looks in the stands during the football games, but I didn't care. I wasn't there to see them.

Scarlett was so un-peppy during the games it was hilarious! She kept yawning during the plays, checked her nails about a million times during the day, and what's more, she was on her phone when the rest of the squad wasn't looking. Poor Melanie Hamilton kept on trying to keep her engaged, but the girl didn't care.

I actually felt bad for Melanie. She was the only girl in school who actually talked to me like I was a normal guy. She was nervous at first, but somehow she decided that I wasn't as bad as the entire school thought. I once asked her why she ignored the rumors, just because I was curious.

"You helped Scarlett study for her last math test. I just feel like if you were really this horrible person, you wouldn't have done that." She said.

That made me feel kind of bad. Melanie actually cared about Scarlett, another person that most of the school just wasn't that crazy about. I mean, I knew that Scarlett just wanted to steal Melanie's boyfriend. Melanie probably knew it too, after all, Scarlett wasn't very good at hiding it. I saw her once steal a note from Ashley out of Melanie's locker just to check if it was a love letter. I guess it wasn't, because she seemed very happy about it.

"Do you even care that Melanie is trying to be your friend?" I asked her one day on the way to her biology class. She just rolled her eyes and ignored the question, which gave me all the answer I needed.

Time came for Clayton County to go up against Sherman High. This was one of the games that everyone, including the football team, was nervous about. Sherman's been destroying every single team they've been up against. And, though I knew better than to say it out loud, I doubted that we would even score against them.

The stands were completely full that night. Parents, teachers, alumni, everyone was there to watch the game. I ended up scoring a seat next to the cheerleaders, and I was able to chat with Melanie and Scarlett if I wanted to. It was kind of nice, just sitting there getting ready to enjoy a nice evening of football. I knew Scarlett hated the sport, but I enjoyed it well enough. I used to play for my old school before I got kicked out.

It started out bad. Sherman High ran it in for a touchdown within the first few seconds of the game, bowling over our defense as if they weren't even there. And that was the best part of the game for us. Seriously, it was like watching an elementary team going up against a professional football group. It was that bad.

After the game, I started making my way out of the stands, though it was incredibly slow going. The home stands were completely dejected, and I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of people crying. I kind of wanted to say that I told you so, but where's the fun in kicking a dog when he's down?

"Hey, leave us alone." I looked over. A couple of Sherman High guys were hitting very heavily on our cheerleaders, namely Scarlett and Melanie. I waited to see if they left, but they didn't. Judging by the way that they were swaying, I guessed that they were completely wasted, and maybe a bit high in one guy's case. I saw Ashley and a couple of the other football players watching, but they were being chewed out by their coach and couldn't come help.

Scarlett was holding her own for the most part, speaking with that disgusting tone that she usually reserved for slime and me, but not even she could handle two at once. One of them was leering a little bit too close at her uniform, and the other one was trying to get an arm around Melanie. Scarlett saw me in the stands, and she mouthed _help me._ I smirked. It must have nearly killed her to do that. I bowed mockingly, mouthing back _at your service._ I leapt over the last row of stands to land next to the cheerleaders.

"Gentlemen. I think it's time you went home. The game is over and your game here is too." I said, peeling Melanie out from under the guy's arm. He didn't take too kindly to that. He got up in my face.

"Back off, man. We're just trying to have a little fun." He said. My nose wrinkled at the strong smell of alcohol on the guy's breath. Yup. Definitely drunk. I put my hands up and pushed the guy away. It wasn't very hard, but adding to the unbalance of being drunk, he nearly toppled over. They all got up and bared their fists, ready to swing.

"Listen, guys, I don't want any trouble. Just leave the girls alone and be on your way, and no one has to get hurt." I said. I really didn't want to take on two guys at once, especially when Scarlett and Melanie were so close by. I really didn't want to have to deal with that, and I really didn't want somebody to accidentally hit one of the girls.

Fortunately, one of the guys (the one that was only really drunk) realized that I was serious and turned to leave, tapping the other guy on the shoulder to signal for him to come with. The other guy (the one that I'm pretty sure was high as well as drunk) pushed me back, and tried to hit me. I punched him as hard as I could, and somehow I managed to get him in the face. He bent over, blood streaming from his nose, and he swore loudly at me.

"Weren't even that pretty anyway. Have fun with the rest of the season, losers." The guy said, his voice sounding more nasal as he pinched his nose to keep the blood from running too bad. He ran after his friend. Scarlett hugged me from behind, having been more scared than she let on.

"Thank you, Rhett!" Melanie said a little faintly. She looked so rattled that she was about to puke.

"I'm so glad you were here, Rhett." She said. I shrugged, thinking hard.

"Anytime, ladies. You know I am a slave to your charms." I said, though I wasn't even thinking about it. I couldn't help but think about what the stoner said. A decision formed in my mind, one that I was sure that I was going to regret.

"I've never been so happy that you aren't a football player. I don't know what we would have done if you were over there getting chewed out with the rest of the team out there." Scarlett whispered to me. Oh man. I can't believe that I was going to do this.

"I've got to join the team."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

(Scarlett's POV)

I stared miserably at the Econ test in front of me. 57. I glanced up at Ms. Tara, who was avoiding my gaze. After the bell rang, I went up to her desk, holding the test so firmly in my grasp that there were little creases in the paper. She continued to avoid me, until I cleared my throat.

"Scarlett, I can't change your grade." She said warily. I sighed.

"But I thought that I showed perfect understanding of microeconomics!" I said, working up the tears. Ms. Tara was a young teacher, and was a pretty big sucker for crying kids. She sighed.

"Scarlett, I can't give you a passing grade in this class if you don't deserve it. I've seen you in class, and I know that you don't take it serious. You need to learn the material, Scarlett. Not just memorize a bunch of facts." She said. I let a tear roll down my face.

"Is there anything at all that I can do to fix this? Extra credit?" I asked. She sighed and sat back in her chair.

"Scarlett, I'm going to allow a retest next Friday. I'll hold a help session, but my advice? Get a tutor. Try to learn, Scarlett. This might help you in the future when you're an adult." She said, then she went back to her paperwork. I sniffed and then left the classroom, waiting until I was completely out to screech in frustration and stamp my foot on the ground.

"What's wrong, Scarlett?" I turned and glared at Mammy. She stopped in her tracks. Her friends, Dilcey and Prissy were right next to her. Their other friend, who for some reason they called Pork, was right behind them, carrying his and Dilcey's books.

"That study guide you made me for Econ didn't work!" I snarled. Her eyebrows rose in defiance.

"Well excuse me. I'm not a homework freshie, Scarlett, and I have never been. I've got enough work to do in my own classes, I can't learn a completely new subject just so you can get an A." She snapped. I stepped closer to her, using my height as an excuse to look down on her.

"You are a freshman. I am a junior. You will help me with my homework if I want you to." I said. She glared back.

"If you need help, Scarlett, get help. I'm sorry, but finals are coming up for us as well. We're trying. You know that." She said. I sighed, my frustration seeping away.

"I do know that, Mammy. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I turned and walked away, feeling dejected. Melanie ran up and started walking next to me.

"That was a really hard test, wasn't it, Scarlett?" She said. There was a small tremor in her voice that indicated that she was starting to get as stressed out as I was. I ignored it, my irritation flaring up again.

"Oh, shut up Melanie. I bet you got an A." I snapped. Instead of getting mad, she just shrugged.

"Nope. I didn't do well at all. I have to take the retest. I'm going to have a little study group Friday night after the football game. Do you want to come join us?" She asked. I paused.

"Who's 'us'?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Ashley and a few of his friends. I think that a few of the girls on the squad are also coming. I asked Rhett to come, because I'm pretty sure he got the highest grade on the test. But he got detention, so he can't." She listed off. I paused.

"Detention? What for?" I asked, even though my focus was more on Ashley.

"He beat up this freshman boy. I think that the school might suspend him, but they haven't decided yet." She said. I rolled my eyes. I hadn't spoken to Rhett since after the game against Sherman. I still couldn't believe that he had just ditched us like that. The nerve of that guy!

"Sure. I don't have anything better to do." I said. Melanie brightened a bit.

"Great! I'll see you at the game then." She said then she scampered off, probably to go find Ashley.

I was excited. This would be the first time I'd be able to see Ashley since football season started. Maybe now he would start to see that I would be a much better girlfriend than Melanie. If I could just get him alone… I knew that he would admit that he loved me. He had to.

When I got home, I glanced at the key dish. Mom wasn't home yet. I shrugged. She probably had some emergency at the hospital. I dropped my keys in the dish, set my backpack down, and flipped on the TV. Nothing good was on.

I figured that if anyone could help me in econ, it would be my mom. She was always so good with our finances, doing all of the bills and stuff. She would be a little disappointed that I had failed, but I knew that she would help me ace the retake. She was always able to help me with my homework, even when she was really busy. There was a commotion at the door, and I heard my father come in.

"Scarlett? Are you home?" He called out. He sounded upset. Probably his picks for this week weren't working out.

"I'm in here!" I shouted back. He came into the living room, his face pale. Seeing that, I grabbed the remote and flipped the TV off.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" I asked. He got really worked up over football, but never this much.

"It's your mother, sweetheart. She's In the hospital." He said, his voice shaky. I froze.

"Of course she is, Daddy. She works there." I said, knowing what he meant but not wanting to believe it. He knelt in front of the chair I was sitting in, taking my hands delicately.

"Honey, your mother was shot. While she was coming home from the clinic. Someone tried to mug her, and it went wrong. Your sisters are already at the hospital." I blinked. I didn't hear anything after the word 'shot'. It just couldn't be true. Dad must be joking. No one would shoot my mother. She was too good of a person. This couldn't be real.

I couldn't respond. I stared off, at the black TV screen in front of me. My face was wet, though I didn't remember having cried. Dad pulled me closer to him, his own tears soaking through the shoulder of my blouse. After what felt like hours, Dad let me go, sniffing. He was holding his car keys in his hands loosely. I gently took them from him, wiping my eyes clear.

"I'll drive, Daddy. You shouldn't right now." I said quietly. I expected him to argue that he was the adult and it was his car and all of that crap, but he just nodded and obediently followed me to the garage. I sped as fast as I could, for once grateful for the super expensive sports cars that Dad insisted on buying.

At the hospital, I ran to the reception desk and asked where Mom was. The lady took to long in my opinion, but once she finally told me where she was I ran as fast as I could to the room. Mom was in there, hooked up to about a million machines and tubes, and her eyes were closed.

"Are you the husband?" A nurse asked Dad, followed by a police officer. I answered for him. Dad was not all there. He didn't take his eyes off of my mother's unconscious form.

"Ms. O'hara, I'd like to ask you a few questions." The officer said. The nurse was filling me in on the details, trying to use simple words.

"She sustained three gunshot wounds to the abdomen. One in the hand, one in her forearm, and one in her lower left rib cage. That's the one that we're worried about. The bullet hit the rib cage and broke a piece off, knocking the piece into her lung. That's why she's on the respirator. We're going to keep her under surveillance until we figure out how to extract the bullet without damaging her lung any further." She said. I nodded, trying to keep it all serious.

"Your mother was in a bad neighborhood, Mr. O'hara. Do you have any idea why she was there?" The officer asked. Dad was just sitting there, staring at Mom.

"She volunteers at the free-clinic down there when she's not working." I answered. The officer grunted and scribbled down the information.

"Did anyone have a problem with your mother? A reason to hurt her?" He asked.

"No. Everyone loves her. She was always spending her time volunteering and helping other people. I'm sorry, do you think that this was a murder attempt?" I asked. The idea seemed so ludicrous, that I almost laughed. The officer shook his head.

"No, of course not. It's just a formality. Based on the evidence, it looks like your mother was approached while walking to her car, was held up at gun point, and while she was handing over money, a patrol car went by. The mugger panicked. Your mother must have held up her arm in defense, and honestly, that probably saved her life." He explained. I glanced at my mother, the only woman who ever liked me, lying broken on a hospital bed.

"I just hope that it was enough."

…

(Rhett's POV)

"Butler, why did you fight that poor little freshman?" The vice principal asked. I shrugged and looked up at him, a look of pure insolence on my face.

"He was being disrespectful to an upperclassmen girl. I was just trying to stop him from being rude." I replied. The vice principal started in on a lecture about why you shouldn't get into fights, violence is never the answer, blah, blah, blah.

"Especially with your track record, Mr. Butler, how do you expect to get anywhere in life?" He asked. I shrugged, trying and probably failing to look guilty.

The freshman was named Tunis, Tunis Bonneau. This one senior girl named Isabella was going around telling anyone that would listen that Tunis had tried to come on to her and kept on touching her whenever she was near. The entire football team was upset, as most of them were seniors and juniors.

They were all worried that now that the football team was starting to get their butts kicked every single week, the freshmen were going to start thinking that they could do whatever they wanted. Before when the team sucked, nobody cared about it. Now that there was so much hype about the team, everyone was paying attention, and the upperclassmen were starting to lose their grip on the school.

The team decided to find Tunis and teach him a lesson. What right did he, a freshman, have to harass an upperclassman girl? Completely unacceptable. He would've been used as an example for all of the other freshmen in the school that the upperclassmen meant business. So I found him and got in a few punches.

After all, what were friends for?

I wasn't going to let the rest of the team get to Tunis. He was scared as heck, the poor kid. Tunis and I had known each other for a long time, since we were a lot younger. I knew that he never tried to harass Isabella; he had a freshmen girlfriend. But who was going to believe him over a senior? I found him and warned him about the team, and he asked me to hit him.

It was a weird favor, but he pointed out that anything that I did would be better than an entire team going after him. I reluctantly agreed, but I still didn't want to hurt the little guy. He just smiled and said that maybe I would look good in front of Scarlett if I defended the 'upperclassmen honor'.

So I broke his nose.

The school was in an uproar. The guys were mad because I had taken the opportunity away from them. A lot of the girls were upset because I had pissed off the guys, some thought that I was just looking for an excuse to beat people up. Some of the girls warmed up to me because I defended Isabella, but only a bit.

So there I was, sitting in the principal's office, waiting for someone to come in and ream me out again. The door opened and shut quietly, and I groaned.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I'll apologize to Tunis and go to anger management courses, ok?" I said, tired of the lectures.

"Looks like you've got yourself in trouble." I froze. That definitely wasn't a teacher. Scarlett moved to perch herself on the desk in front of me. I felt almost elated. She actually came to see me.

"It's all worth it if it got you to visit me." I said, honestly. She was smiling shyly.

"I think that it was real sweet of you to defend Isabella like that." She said, blushing a bit. I blinked. Was she…flirting?

"Thanks. It wasn't that big of a deal. This will all blow over eventually." I said, though I wasn't sure if that was true.

"I heard you were facing suspension." She said.

"I might be. I might not. But why are you here?" I asked. She looked down at her shoes.

"I couldn't bear the thought of you being suspended. It's so unfair." She said. I let a grin sprout on my face.

"And why would that be, Ms. O'hara?" I asked, though I thought I knew the answer. She scooted a little closer to me.

"You know that I've always liked you, Rhett." She said. There was something off about her, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a paper sticking out of her binder. It was the econ test. She had failed it.

"No you haven't." I said, laughing bitterly. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid.

"What are you-"

"Quit the act O'hara. You came here because you were hoping that I would help you pass Econ." I deduced. Her slightly pink face went completely red.

"Rhett, please. I'll do anything. I can't afford a tutor right now and I need to do well on this test. There's been a lot of drama at home and I can't fail econ on top of it. Please!" She begged.

"Anything?" I questioned, my eyebrow raised. She nodded, scooting way into my personal space. I resisted rolling my eyes. Give me a break.

"Please, Rhett." She repeated, her face getting close to mine. I started laughing, which made her recoil.

"Really? Scarlett, come on. Get over yourself. And even if I was willing to take your 'proposition', I'm going to be in detention for the rest of the month, if not suspension. Use your brain, woman!" I laughed nastily. She looked embarrassed and furious.

"I hope you get expelled." She snapped, then she grabbed her things and slammed the door on her way out.

I wanted to punch something, anything. It made me so furious that she had managed to make me feel so mad, and that made me feel even angrier. That girl had the ability to make Gandhi want to scream, I swear.

"Mr. Butler?" I didn't turn around. The vice principal had returned to the room.

"What's up?" I asked disrespectfully. He bristled at the confrontation, but didn't rise to the challenge.

"We have had some witnesses say that you were only acting in self defense. Mr. Bonneau has agreed to take the punishment. You'll still serve detention for a week, but other than that you will not be held accountable for any of this." He said, though he looked like every word hurt to say. I had that power over most adults.

I waved insolently and left. I went to my locker and started grabbing my books and stuff, still angry about Scarlett. I saw a bunch of girls gathered in a group a few lockers down.

"Did you hear? She's going out with Frank Kennedy now."

"I can't believe Frank asked her. He's way too good for her."

"I always thought he had a thing for her sister Suellen. I mean, she was a bit young, but she's better than Scarlett."

"Like that would stop Scarlett. She'd steal anyone's man. She's such a-"

Huh. So Scarlett's already found a sap to help her with her homework. Part of me was a little jealous, and part of me was kind of impressed with how quickly she worked. As I walked out of the building to my motorcycle, I knew one thing.

I felt sorry for Frank.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Scarlett's POV)

"Scarlett, good job." Ms. Tara said when she handed me back my make up test. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the red 91 on the top. I turned to look at Frank, who was waiting outside the door. I held my thumb up, and he smiled.

Frank was a sweet guy, and he was definitely great as a tutor. I almost enjoyed dating him. But still, there wasn't any challenge. He was so submissive that I could do whatever I wanted and he wouldn't say anything. It was kind of frustrating. Ashley wasn't like that. Ashley would challenge me intellectually.

Mom wasn't doing much better. She wasn't getting worse, so suppose that that was good, in a way. The police were still hunting down the man who shot her. I didn't even care at that point. I just wanted her to get well. Dad wasn't much better. He was at the hospital day and night. He wasn't supposed to be there as long as he was, but some of Mom's co-workers looked the other way for him.

Suellen wasn't talking to me. I guess it was kind of wrong of me to steal the guy that she's had a crush on since middle school, but my sympathy only went so far. Ever since I started dating Frank, my grades were skyrocketing. Suellen could get over herself.

During the entire commotion with Mom, I missed the last football game of the year. Not that I minded that. But we ended up losing to Union High, and the team ended the season feeling dejected. I was relieved that the season was over, after all, it meant that the boys on the team didn't have to worry about practice anymore.

Rhett had been let off with a warning and a handful of detentions. I avoided him as much as possible for a while. I was still embarrassed about what went down in the principal's office. Somehow, I always ended up feeling embarrassed around him.

One day, I was trying to decide on classes for the next semester. I had passed Economics with a high B, and I was pretty excited about it. I was looking at my options. Woodshop was open, and I was kind of interested in it. Frank had asked me not to take it, saying that it was a boy's class. He was out though, at home with a cold.

"Woodshop? Didn't think any girl was interested in that." I frowned. Rhett was leaning next to me, looking over my shoulder to glance over my class application.

"From what I heard, it's an easy A. And I kind of want to take it." I admitted. I needed an easy class to bring up my GPA. Not that it was low or anything, but I wanted to make sure that I got into UGA. Rhett laughed.

"The school will be in an uproar. A girl in woodshop. Scarlett O'hara, you are a delight." He said. I felt a smile spread on my face.

It was kind of nice, being able to talk to someone without him judging me. Frank was always getting embarrassed when I decided to do something that was more of a guy thing. He didn't do anything to stop me, but he did try as hard as possible to show that he disapproved. To be fair, Melanie was trying her hardest not to judge me. But I was sure that she talked about me behind my back. She was a jerk behind that sweet façade, I knew it.

I circled woodshop.

It was just as easy as everyone said. The teacher was kind of nice, and I enjoyed working with the power sander and all of the fun toys. Rhett was right though, the entire school was talking after I was added to the roster. Girls were whispering everywhere I went, and guys were avoiding me. It was made worse after we got our first project grades back and I ended up with the highest grade in the class.

It made me happy, and I was good at it, so I stopped caring about what the rest of the school thought. Who cared about them, anyway? At any rate, it was all pretty useful. I was able to go home and fix one of the chairs that had a wobbly leg. Usually we left it to Dad, but after Mom got shot he was hardly at home, and when he was he was up in his room, drinking. We didn't let on that we knew, though.

Since everyone hated me anyway, I started hanging out more and more with Rhett. It was actually more fun than I let him know. We could talk and I could actually say what I wanted to say, without worrying that he would look down on me for it.

Melanie kept on insisting on hanging out with me. I wouldn't do it if it weren't for the fact that doing so meant seeing Ashley. He was really taking the loss against Union High badly. He was moping around all the time, looking sad. Rhett made fun of him for it, but I just felt bad for him. The poor thing.

The freshmen had become completely uncontrollable. After the loss, they started acting as though the upper classes were not threatening at all. Many of them abandoned their upperclassmen and reveled in doing their own work. The freshmen boys hit on junior and senior girls, and they were overall rude as heck. Mammy, Dilcey, Pork, and Prissy stayed loyal to me. After that freak out following the econ test, they worked almost double-time, helping me study, quizzing me, and making sure that I stayed on task.

"Scarlett, I don't know why you are taking woodshop. It isn't a good class for a girl to take and you know it." Mammy said one day. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh please. It's bringing up my GPA, Mammy, and I don't care what anyone else says." I responded.

"Well you should! Everybody in the entire school is talking about how you're only taking that class to flirt with guys. They're saying really awful things, Scarlett. Nasty things." Mammy said. I shrugged.

"They can go shove it up their-"

"Scarlett?" I turned. Melanie was coming closer to me.

"What's up?" I asked. Melanie irritated me less now that I got to see Ashley more.

"I was just wondering how your Mom was doing." She asked. I stiffened.

"She's fine." I lied. The truth was, the doctors didn't know if she'd ever wake up. She was on life support, with respirator breathing for her.

"Oh, that's good." She said, but I knew that that wasn't what she really wanted to say.

"Melanie, spit it out." I snapped. She bit her lip uncomfortably.

"Uh, ok. So I just heard that Suellen is in the principal's office. Your dad is there, but he's not…he's…uh…"

"He's what?" I asked, getting irritated.

"He's really drunk right now Scarlett. You need to get down there, right now." She said. I ran past her towards the office. Sure enough, when I walked in, Dad was lolling on the couch, and he smelled like alcohol. Suellen was sitting there with her arms crossed defiantly, and the poor principal didn't know how to go about this.

"Ah. Ms. O'hara." He said. I sighed.

"What happened?" I asked, sinking down into the chair next to Suellen. She glared at me.

"Nothing you need to get involved in." She snarled. I ignored her, waiting for the principal to answer.

"Your sister was failing her math class. As custom, we sent home a note to your parents. Instead of taking responsibility, it appears that she got your father intoxicated and had him sign it. He realized what had happened and came here, very upset." He explained. I wanted to burst out laughing. Of course he did.

"What do you propose we do?" I asked. He thought for a minute.

"If this is what your home life is like…"

"It's not the usual, sir, I promise. I don't know if you're aware of this, but our mother is in the hospital right now. When she gets home, then Dad will be fine. As for Suellen, she'll take full responsibility for her actions, as well as any punishment you deem fit." I said, feeling tired. Suellen started protesting, but we both ignored her.

"I don't know about this." He said, glancing at Dad. I put on my best smile.

"Dad, isn't normally like this, I promise." I lied. He nodded.

"Suellen is going to be in ISS for at least a week." He said.

"A week!" She shouted. Again, we both ignored her.

"I think that's fair, under the circumstances. May I drive my father home? He's not exactly in the position to do so himself." I asked. He nodded.

"If you must." He replied.

I helped my father through the mostly empty halls. I spotted Rhett, talking to Melanie. Both of them had hall passes in their hands. They looked up upon my approach.

"Not a word." I said coldly.

For once, Rhett didn't have a come back.

(Rhett's POV)

Even though neither Melanie nor I said anything, word of Scarlett's dad spread throughout the school like wildfire. By the next week, everyone was whispering about Scarlett's drunk of a father. She was embarrassed, but she ignored the whispers. She held her head up high.

She practically threw herself into her schoolwork, and the next thing anyone knew she was one of the top students in the school. Her best subject was woodshop, and some guys even had to go to her for help, which humiliated them to no end. Poor Frank was the most embarrassed out of all of them, but he didn't break up with her or anything.

I loved it.

Not the fact that Frank was miserable. He was kind of a coward, but he was an ok guy. I loved the way that Scarlett didn't let anything bother her, at least, not that she let anyone know. When she said that she didn't care what anyone thought, I believed it.

That's why when, one day after school, I found her surrounded by Frank, Ashley, and Melanie, I forgot about what I was doing and ran over to check on her. She was white as a sheet, and she was shaking slightly.

"What happened?" I asked, but she didn't respond. Ashley and Frank ignored me. Neither of them were my biggest fans. They, like the rest of the school thought that I was a jerk for not joining and helping the team during football season. I swear, can't they get over it already? Melanie glanced at me, realizing my worry.

"Some freshmen boys came up to her and were harassing her pretty badly." Melanie said. I watched Scarlett. She wasn't even this scared when those two drunk guys were harassing her and Melanie at the football game against Sherman. My hands curled up into fists. Those freshmen must've been really bad. Scarlett was still shaky, but Ashley and Frank said they had to go to some club meeting.

I frowned at them. There had been rumors of a group of upperclassmen boys who went around and beat up any upstart freshman, or any upperclassmen who was encouraging them. It all made sense now, why Ashley and Frank and most of the ex football players acted so secretive all of the time. I always suspected that they were involved somehow, but to actually do it themselves? Could Frank and Ashley really be part of that?

One glance at Melanie's face told me the answer. Yes, yes they could. I shook my head, bemusedly. This was ridiculous. Scarlett was upset, though I figured that was more so about Ashley leaving than anything else. After he was gone, she managed to calm down quite a bit. Melanie looked at me pleadingly.

"Please make sure they don't do something too stupid." She begged. I nodded. As I was hurrying away, I heard Scarlett ask what Melanie was talking about.

I found them a few halls over, hiding from a few staff members. A freshman was on the ground, sprouting some new bruises and a few new cuts. He was doubled over, and it looked like he actually had a few broken bones, ones that could only have come from being kicked by a large of people. I tapped Ashley on the shoulder. He was holding his arm in a way that made me think that he had actually managed to get himself hurt, the idiot.

I motioned for the group to follow me. They hesitated, but after the faculty voices got louder, they decided to do as I said. When we were out of earshot, I turned back to them all.

"You guys are all idiots, you know that, right?" I said. Ashley glared at me defiantly.

"You saw Scarlett. You're telling me that you didn't want to do the same?" He asked. I didn't answer. He had hit home, closer than even he probably realized.

"Fine. But none of you can complain." I said. They looked at each other.

"Complain about what?" Ashley asked. I grabbed my phone and called some one I knew I could count on.

"Hello?" I heard her voice crackle out.

"Belle. It's me. I need you to do me a favor." I said.

By the end of the week, everyone knew about the football team. The faculty had caught them all behind the school, and the place reeked of alcohol and pot. Not that the staff could find any, either on the players or anywhere around them. They were also in the presence of some girls with very bad reputations.

All of the guys' girlfriends knew the truth. They knew that the guys were simply trying to do what they thought was right, even though it was really stupid. Ashley came back with a broken arm, and the cover story was that he had gotten it broken trying to do some stupid stunt while drunk. The faculty watched them extra close from then on, but since they couldn't prove anything, they got off scot-free.

Everyone did, that it, except for Frank. Frank had gotten caught earlier on, had been carted off by the vice principal before I could get there. He refused to squeal on his friends, and he ended up taking the blame for every one of the freshmen that the team had beaten up. He was expelled.

Instead of being grateful for saving their boyfriends' necks, the girls shunned me more than ever for making their boyfriends look like potheads. The fact that they were found with some provocatively dressed probably didn't make it better. But hey, I didn't do it necessarily for them. I did it for Melanie and for Scarlett, even though she didn't know about it.

And though I would never let anyone else know, Ashley was 100% right. I wanted to find those freshmen and make them pay for doing that to Scarlett. I didn't care about the fact that they were freshmen or not, no one made Scarlett look that upset without paying for it in some way. And I couldn't let Ashley and his friends get in trouble for doing that.

"You look upset." I said upon finding her alone in her math class. She glanced up.

"Shouldn't I? If it weren't for me, then Frank would still be in school, Ashley wouldn't have a broken arm, and about ten other guys wouldn't have destroyed reputations." She said. I sat in the desk next to her.

"So what? It was their decision to go hunt down that freshmen. They are trying to cling to power, but it's not working. They don't know what to do. They can't adjust." I said honestly. She shrugged.

"Some people say that if I didn't take that stupid class, then those freshmen wouldn't have…" She started but I held up a hand to stop her.

"Like I said. You didn't ask them to go do what they did. They chose to do it themselves. You didn't even know about it!" I exclaimed. She looked about to cry.

"I just needed someone to teach me econ. He liked my sister, and then I lied to him and told him that she liked someone else. I tricked him into going out with me. If I didn't-"

"Will you go out with me?" I asked, the words out of my mouth almost before I could realize that I was saying them. She looked taken aback.

"Of course not. I don't like you." She said. I shrugged.

"So? C'mon, Scarlett. You and I both know that the one person that you do like is completely off-limits. Why not just go out with me for the heck of it? It's not like you were madly in love with the other two boyfriends that you've had." I pointed out. She glared at me.

"I don't want to be in a relationship, Rhett. I don't like it." She said, flustered. I laughed.

"You've never been in a good relationship then." I remarked.

"People will talk. Going out with you right after Frank got expelled." She said hesitantly. I smirked.

"When have you ever cared what people thought? C'mon Scarlett, why not just be bad for once?" I asked, grabbing her hands in my own. She frowned, thinking it over. I sighed.

"If you must wait until it becomes acceptable for you to date me then fine. I'll wait. But I won't wait for your answer. Winter break is coming up soon, and I won't be able to see you. I'll ask you again. Scarlett, will you go out with me?" I said. She was still quiet.

I knew that she was thinking about Ashley. He was the reason why she refused to say yes. I instantly regretted saving him and his friends. I wished he had gotten expelled with Frank. Then maybe she would get over him. Maybe she would quit dreaming of a relationship that would never happen, and wouldn't work even if it did.

So I did something stupid. I grabbed her and kissed her. I wanted to make her forget him. I wanted her to forget about the rest of the school. I wanted her to forget about her guilt over Frank's expulsion. I wanted her to forget everything but me.

"Yes." She said. I blinked. It had worked?

"You mean it? You're not just saying it." I tried to confirm. She nodded.

"Yes. Rhett, I will go out with you."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(Scarlett's POV)

I was right about one thing. People did talk. A lot. But for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to care. Going out with Rhett was much more different than Charles or Frank, better even. For a second I thought it would be better than going out with Ashley, but I banished the thought. No need to get crazy with it.

But I did enjoy going out with him, though I would never let him know. I could be completely honest with him. I never felt like I had to pretend to be some perfect lady. When he took me out to dinner, I ordered what I wanted, and then I would eat every single bite. I said what I wanted to say, and he responded in kind.

"You know, if you keep on eating like that, I'm going to have to start cheating on you." He joked one night at dinner. At least, I thought he was joking. I just stuck my tongue out at him and then stuck a forkful of crawfish etouffee into my mouth.

For like, a week, the school remained apathetic. They didn't say anything to me or to Rhett. But after the girls had time to get used to the idea of Rhett and me dating, they started to get nasty. They didn't just talk about us behind our backs, they gave us dirty looks, they openly shunned me, and they talked awful about Rhett. The guys that Rhett helped tried to keep them quiet, tried to make them stop being so mean to Rhett. After all, he did help them. But the girls refused to play along. They couldn't forgive me for getting their boyfriends in trouble, and they couldn't forgive Rhett for getting them out of trouble.

Everyone was awful, except for Melanie. As always, she was by my side whether I wanted her there or not. It was like she had some kind of mind-control power over everyone else. Whenever people said something that she didn't like, all she had to do was give them a disappointed look and they would immediately retract their statements. Most of the things she disapproved of were nasty comments about me. I rolled my eyes and told her not to worry about it, but she was adamant in her defense in me.

"I don't know why you get so mad about this. I don't care if anyone likes me or not." I said to her one day after she actually yelled at one sophomore girl for calling me names.

"It just makes me angry. Their boyfriends screwed up. Their boyfriends got in trouble. You didn't force them to go beat up that freshman. And at any rate, your boyfriend got expelled over it. You suffered just as much, if not more, than all of them. And Rhett _helped_ them. I just don't get it. If it weren't for him, Ashley would've been expelled with Frank. I will always be grateful to him, and to Belle Watling. I don't care what their reputations are." She ranted. I shrugged.

"Whatever, then." I said, not knowing how to respond to that.

I started spending a lot of time with some of the girls from Union High. I met them at the mall, in my favorite store. They were nice enough, if not a little rude. They just didn't understand us over at Clayton County. Aside from them asking me what it was like being able to not worry at all about homework, they were fine.

Rhett didn't like the fact that I was hanging out with them. He said that I was going to end up regretting ignoring the Clayton County girls, especially when the upperclassmen regained power over the school, but I just waved my hand in dismissal. What did I care about the girls that were always being so mean to me? Why should I regret shunning the ones who seemed to constantly be shunning me?

Rhett started acting really weird all of a sudden. Apparently his little sister was coming home from her time at her mom's house. He was very excited, and he practically ignored me. Not that I was that upset about him ignoring me. That just meant that I could hang out with Ashley more without him being all upset.

"He's all thrilled about his baby sister coming into own. Her name's Bonnie, I think. His other sister Rosemary is still in boarding school, and he says that he really misses being the older brother in the house." I told Ashley one day while I was helping him build a birdhouse. I really liked Ashley, but even I couldn't pretend that he was any good at woodworking.

"You two must've become very close." He said. I shrugged.

"Not really. Anyway, how are you doing in your other classes?" I asked, not really interested, but wanting to hear him speak. He shrugged.

"AP Physics is pretty hard. We're doing this long term group project and the rest of my group isn't really doing much." He said. I frowned.

"Why don't you just tell them to get their job done? Go to the teacher and tell him that your group isn't working, and then they'll get yelled at or they won't get credit for their projects." I suggested. Ashley stared at me, looking shocked.

"Why would I do that? Then their entire grade would be ruined! I can't believe that he has corrupted you so much!" Ashley exclaimed. My brow furrowed.

"What? What do you mean? Who's corrupting me?" I asked, genuinely confused. He threw his hammer down in frustration.

"Rhett Butler. I'm sorry Scarlett. I know he's your boyfriend and all, but I just can't stand him. If it were any other guy, Scarlett, I'd be able to bear seeing you with someone else. But Rhett freaking Butler?" He said. I blinked, a smile forming on my face. I wiped it away before he noticed.

Ashley was jealous. Of Rhett. He still had feelings for me, despite his insistence that it was inappropriate. He loved me! Oh, why did I say yes to Rhett? If Ashley wouldn't break up with Melanie then at least we could be together in spirit. We didn't have to have a physical relationship or anything. We were too in love for something like that to taint us anyway.

"I didn't know you felt that way." I muttered stupidly. He sighed, then picked up the hammer and went back to hammering a nail into the wood. Later that day, I told Rhett that I didn't want to go on dates with him anymore. He shrugged as if wasn't that big of a deal.

"I'm too busy taking care of my sister anyway." He said dismissively before walking away. I blinked. I expected some resistance, some unhappiness that I was practically dumping him, but nothing. He just left.

I felt kind hurt at that. I mean, sure I was thrilled about being with Ashley, but I knew that I would miss going out with Rhett. I would miss saying what I wanted, not what I thought that someone else wanted to hear. But I tried shaking that off. I was going to be with Ashley. That was what mattered.

The Rhett that everyone had gotten so used to was changing. We finally got a glimpse of this little sister that he was always talking about. She was absolutely precious, I'd give him that. She was small and delicate with pink cheeks, golden ringlets, and eyes as blue as the sky. She bounced into class one day, with a pink backpack hanging off of her back, and a woman who I assumed was Rhett's mother walked in.

"Big Brudder!" She shouted loudly, announcing her arrival to what had been a quiet class. Rhett bent down and picked her up, squeezing her tightly. He was smiling wider than I had ever seen him smile. The effect that little girl had on him wasn't only noticed by me. The entire school was talking about Rhett Butler: World's Greatest Big Brother.

His entire demeanor seemed to change. He spoiled his little sister like crazy, buying her toys and candy whenever he wasn't in school. The girls in school stopped talking so awfully about him, because after all, how could anyone who was so sweet to his little sister be bad?

It became so much that I was starting to feel a little jealous. Of a child! I missed having Rhett talk to me, make all of the troubles of the day feel like silly little trifles. I missed being able to tell someone my real opinions, and I missed him telling me the truth about what he thought in response. The Union High girls were just starting to annoy me, because they couldn't get it through their heads that Clayton County students worked just as hard as them. That no, we did not just always shunt homework onto the freshmen.

Even though they liked Rhett now, people were still shunning me. Melanie was the only one that wasn't being mean. She started planning a surprise birthday party for Ashley, and she made sure to ask me as many questions as possible.

"You've been friends with him for so long Scarlett. I know that with us planning this party, Ashley will have the best birthday ever!" She said, excited. I couldn't help but smile. She sent me to go stall him on the day of the party, so I would have the honor of leading him into the surprise. When I found Ashley, he was in the woodshop room, staring out the window. I nudged him on the shoulder.

"Hey." I said. He smiled.

"Hi."

"What's up?" I asked. He was always daydreaming and stuff, but for some reason he was acting kind of sad. He'd been acting sad for a while now, come to think of it. He shrugged.

"Aren't you supposed to be at my surprise party?" He asked. I swatted him lightly on the arm.

"You weren't supposed to know. Melanie will be so disappointed." I berated, though I didn't mean it. He sighed and turned to me with a smiled plastered on his face.

"You look pretty." He said. Normally, when he said things like that, I nearly fainted for happiness. But for some reason, I just felt mild pleasure at having been complimented.

"Thanks."

"It's only been a year, hasn't it? Since that party. It doesn't feel like it. And look at you and me. Both of us have come so far since then. Without you, I'd probably have flunked out by now."

"Oh, don't say that."

"It's true. But don't get me wrong, I'm not sad. Not anymore. Things have just changed."

"You sound like Rhett. He's always talking about how high school is survival of the fittest. It drives me crazy sometimes. But I like the way it is now. I enjoy it." I said. He smiled wistfully.

"Do you? I don't. I remember the way it was before, before football season, when all of our friends were in one piece, still allowed at this school."

I flashed back to laughing with the Tarletons, who had both gotten injured bad enough to need physical therapy. Those times were nice, I admitted. When Dad was sober and Mom was at home. Before everything had started to go wrong. I felt a tear slip down my cheek. Ashley wrapped his arms around me, and I leaned into him as I would Melanie, or Frank, or any of my other friends. But just a friend. Nothing more.

"Oh no." I heard him whisper. I looked behind me. India, Ashley's little sister, and a grumpy guy named Archie were standing in the doorway. I was a little confused as to Ashley's alarm, until I realized how this must've looked to them. Ashley and me, alone and hugging. Ashley was right.

Oh no.

(Rhett's POV)

I was all prepared to enjoy myself at Melanie's party. I was determined to have fun, even if I couldn't stand Ashley Wilkes. I was going to dance with my girlfriend and spend time with her, despite the rough patch we've been going through.

Then Archie came by and told me what had happened between her and Ashley.

I just sat down for a second. It wasn't like I wasn't kind of expecting this. I mean, I knew going in that she still was in love with this guy. But still, for a while, I thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd gotten over him and started to like me instead. I felt like a complete idiot.

So much for that.

"Rhett." I turned. Scarlett looked absolutely miserable. My fists clenched and shook at the sight of her. I've never hit a woman in my life, but I came pretty close that night.

"Scarlett, my dear. Are you ready to go to the party?" I asked, my tone a little too bright to be normal. She visibly calmed. She probably thought that I didn't know about her little indiscretion.

"Um, actually, I have a headache. You go on without me. I don't want you to miss out." She murmured. I pouted fakely at her.

"You are so good to me. My precious little coward. My beautiful adulteress." I said, my voice growing cold. She looked like she had been punched in the gut.

"Archie told you."

"Yes. Yes he did. And I imagine that India has already told everyone else. So come on. Let's go." I said. She practically squirmed. Good. She should feel uncomfortable. I wasn't going to play the role of the betrayed boyfriend. Nope, not me. I was going to stand tall and let her feel the guilt.

"Oh Rhett, I can't go. I couldn't bear it." She said, her voice shaking. I glared at her.

"That's exactly why you are going."

"Rhett, Archie and India were mistaken. It wasn't what it looked like."

"Shut up. Now, if you don't own up to this, you will never be able to show your face again. I can handle having an unfaithful girlfriend. I will not have a coward and a liar for a girlfriend." I snapped. I actually wanted to slap her. Did she really think that I was so stupid that I would believe that it was all just a misunderstanding?

"Rhett. Please, let me explain-"

"SHUT UP! We're going to that party if I have to drag you all the way there." I shouted. Something in my face must have convinced her that I was serious. Good. Because I wasn't kidding about the dragging part. She slipped into my car, her eyes glossy with tears. I wasn't going to lie, there was a lump in my throat. I wanted to go hide in a corner and lick my wounds. But then I would be acting like a weakling. Like Ashley Wilkes. He was probably going to refuse to come to his own surprise party.

The party was in full swing when I pulled up. The surprise had been blown and the music was blaring. I guessed that if Ashley was there, then the school must blame Scarlett for coming on to him and trying to seduce him. Even better.

When we walked in, the crowd went silent. Everyone was staring at Scarlett and me. Scarlett was breathing rather shallowly, and I bet that she was only just able to hold back tears. Her eyes were fixed on Melanie. If anyone's opinion ever mattered, it was Melanie Hamilton. Melanie had been Scarlett's loyal friend all year, even though she knew as well as I did that Scarlett was in love with Ashley and vice versa.

If Melanie abandoned Scarlett, she would have no one left.

The crowd was staring intently as Melanie approached us. Scarlett started sniffing, and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could she say? _Sorry your boyfriend cheated on you with me? _Melanie remained silent as well. Her face was unreadable. Then she walked straight up to Scarlett and raised her hand.

And wrapped her arm around Scarlett's shoulders.

"Scarlett, would you like to help me receive the guests? I was going to ask India to do it, but she's unable to do it."

What?

The entire party was shocked, and I think Scarlett was the most shocked out of everybody. Melanie was basically declaring the entire story false. I stared at her, confused as to how she could be so calm. She must know how Scarlett and Ashley felt about each other. She must know that Scarlett would gladly steal Ashley away given the choice.

But she ignored it anyway.

The next month, Melanie practically waged war on India and Archie. People had to take sides, either pro-Scarlett or anti-Scarlett. Anyone who spoke ill of Scarlett was automatically shunned by Melanie. A large part of the school started being nice to Scarlett simply because they wanted to remain friends with Melanie. It was disconcerting, really.

For such a little girl, she held more power over the students in the school than most of the faculty.

After the party, Scarlett followed me meekly out to my car. I didn't get in at first, just leaned against the driver's side door, staring moodily into the night. Melanie must have had a reason to believe that Ashley didn't cheat. She may have loved him, but she wasn't that blind.

"How did it feel?" I asked. Scarlett hadn't gotten in the car. I hadn't unlocked it yet. She was going to talk to me, whether she wanted to or not.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Having the girl that you've hated since the year be the only one to defend you. But then again, you probably didn't even care. You were probably wondering whether she was only doing it to save her own reputation." I clarified, finally turning to look at her. She frowned.

"I wasn't thinking-"

"Yes you were. And she's not a fool. Not for the reasons you think. It's because she still believes that you are a good person. She doesn't care about what other people say; she'll defend you to her last breath." I interrupted.

"Well I wanted to explain everything, but if you're going to be such a jerk about it…" She started, trying to retain some of her pride.

"I can't believe that you refused to go out in public with me, but you were perfectly content to sneak away with Ashley Wilkes. That hurt, Scarlett. That really hurt, that you didn't want to spend time with me anymore."

"I didn't mean to-"

"I would put you in the hospital if I thought that it would stop you from thinking about him. Do you think that I don't realize that whenever you're with me you're pretending I'm him? It kind of ruins the mood, you know. I feel like I'm on a date with two people. You and your ghost-Ashley. But I'm not taking it any more." I moved around the car. She tried to edge away from me, but I pinned her in front of the back passenger side door.

"Rhett, you're scaring me." She said. I knew that she hated admitting it, but it was her last resort.

"Good. Cause I scare myself. Whenever I'm around you." I admitted. I wanted her to hurt, wanted her to understand the pain that I was feeling. I grabbed her face and jerked it up to mine. She gasped.

"Rhett-"

"Shut. Up." I growled, and then I kissed her roughly. She hesitated, but she started to kiss back. I opened the door and pushed her inside. She squealed as she fell inside, but I didn't care.

For once, it was going to be just the two of us.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

(Scarlett's POV)

I've never actually cared what anyone thought of me. Sure, I made sure that guys thought that I was attractive, that I was funny and charming. But when it came to other girls, I just couldn't bring myself to care. They were stupid and annoying, and I never got along well with any of them.

Melanie was no different. She was always just this annoying thorn in my side, an obstacle in the way for me and Ashley to be together. If she had walked in on me when I was telling Ashley for the first time how I felt about him, or any time since then, I would not have cared one bit if she was upset or not.

That was before. The fact that the stupid hug was completely platonic made me feel absolutely horrible. I didn't want to go to the party because I couldn't bear the thought of her being upset with me. And every time she defended me so fiercely afterwards, I felt like crying my guilt all over again.

How could she stand to be so kind to me? After all that I've done, after I treated her so awfully all the time, how could she defend me? I started to see my past interactions with her in a new light. How could _I_ have been so horrible, and so completely wrong about her?

Rhett was a completely different story. I wanted to see him, tried to explain what had actually happened between me and Ashley. He had to know that I wouldn't betray him. That I cared enough about him not to hurt him like that. He had to know.

Even still, he completely ignored me. Weeks went by when I didn't even see him at all. After he brought me home, he practically disappeared. The next day all I wanted to do was talk to him, explain. He loved me. He practically said as much. I had to let him know that Ashley and I weren't anything to worry about. I finally found him in the library.

"Rhett!" I cried, getting a dirty look from the librarian. He glanced up from his book.

"Oh, hey." He said.

Oh hey? Was that really all he could say?

"Where have you been? I've been worried." I said. He snorted.

"You mean you didn't know? I was with Belle Watling." He said.

Belle…Watling…?

"You went from me to Belle Watling." I said, shocked.

"Of course. I've been with Belle since you and Ashley decided that we shouldn't go on dates any more." I froze. He's been with Belle this entire time? I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Yeah. I figured. You were kind of obvious about it." I said. He smiled.

"I'm sorry I worried you so much." He said, looking completely calm.

"I didn't care." I lied rather poorly considering I just said I did earlier.

"Look, I won't try to contest it if you decide to dump me." He said. I blinked.

"A break up? I'm not going to break up with you. Can you imagine how people would talk?" I asked.

"You'd break up with me if Melanie weren't around. It blows my mind to think how quickly you'd dump me then." He said coldly. I bit my lip and left. For the next couple of weeks, he didn't talk to me, going back to waiting on his sister hand and foot.

I never felt so miserable in my life.

(Rhett's POV)

I was still furious with Scarlett. I wasn't actually cheating on her. I was spending time with Belle, that was true, but it was just a friendly thing. I was mostly spending time with Bonnie. Bonnie made me feel better. It was refreshing, having someone seeing you as a hero when usually people hated you.

"Rhett!" I rolled my eyes. Why did everyone want to talk to me all of a sudden? Usually no one wanted to talk to me. I kind of missed that.

"What?" I groaned as I turned to Melanie.

"It's Scarlett! She's been in an accident!" She said. I felt the blood drain from my face.

"What?" I asked again, but I didn't wait for an answer. Melanie and I ran to her car and she drove me to the hospital. Somebody hadn't stopped at a stop sign. She was so upset about what I had said that she didn't notice it, and she got hit head-on. My eyes closed as Melanie told me the news. When we arrived at the hospital, I couldn't move.

It was my fault. If I hadn't been so angry, if I hadn't said the things that I did then maybe she wouldn't have ran off and gotten hurt. Melanie sat with me, but nothing she said made me feel better. It was all my fault that my girlfriend was in the hospital.

"Rhett, you can't blame yourself." Melanie tried to say.

"I told her that I cheated on her. I love her so much, and it hurt that she didn't love me back. SO I wanted her to be hurt, and I said that I was cheating on her to make her feel just as bad as I did. Melanie, I'm the reason she's in there." I sobbed.

Melanie didn't say anything, and just sat with me while I cried. I couldn't go in to see her. I couldn't bear to see her covered in bandages and tubes and surrounded by machines. I just couldn't.

Weeks went by, and Scarlett slowly recovered from her accident. She was still mad as a hornet at me, and I was kind of ok with that. Her being mad at me was normal. It was something that I could handle.

She ended the quarter with an A+ in woodshop. I smiled when I heard. She wanted to take the advanced class, but Melanie and Ashley convinced her not to. She pouted for a while, but Melanie pointed out that maybe she shouldn't be so close to power tools when she still had a concussion.

She didn't want me to pay attention to her. So I paid attention to my sister instead. Especially after Scarlett's accident, I needed Bonnie to tell me that I was the best big brudder she ever had.

That's when it all went wrong.

My dad decided to take Bonnie back to live with him. Apparently that whole scandal with the rest of the football team made me a bad influence in her life. Which is funny, because no one actually proved that I did any pot (which I didn't, by the way) and he was the one who wanted me to join the football team in the first place.

I moped around the school for a long time after that. Bonnie was the one person in my life that I didn't think I screwed over. Not yet, anyway. She made me feel like I could be a better guy. And now she was gone. Melanie tried to talk to me, tried to make me feel better, but it didn't work very well.

Melanie wasn't doing too well herself. She was starting to feel the pressure of junior year like the rest of her class, and she was starting to get sick. She had a really bad cough, and after a while she couldn't even get out of bed. Ashley waited on her hand and foot, and when he wasn't around her he was usually sneaking some booze.

"She's not getting better, man." Ashley slurred. I sighed.

"She'll be fine, Wilkes. Quit freaking out." I said every time that he started on that. But I was starting to worry too, because he was right. Melanie wasn't getting better. We didn't know what was wrong with her. She was just sick. Doctors came by, and finally we got the news. Melanie had to go up north for some special treatment.

Ashley and Scarlett were devastated. I was too, though I didn't show it. Melanie was the one who kept all of us sane, was the one who made us all happy even when everyone was miserable. She was an important part of all of us, and the fact that she was leaving us was nearly unbearable.

I was staying in the library thinking. That's when Scarlett came in. Figures. Now there was no way I could finish that. She had tear streaks on her face. I guessed that she had just said goodbye to Melanie.

"Well, she's gone. It's what you always wanted, right?" I asked. She gasped.

"How could you say that, Rhett? Melanie was my best friend!" She asked, sounding horrified. I snorted.

"Oh, now she's your best friend. Now that you don't have to worry about her being in the way of you and your darling any more." I snapped. She looked tired, as though she had just made a realization and was tired of thinking.

"The last things that she said to me were about you, you know." She said. For once, I was taken aback.

"What did she say?" I asked. She paused.

"She said 'Be kind to Rhett. He loves you so much.'" She said. I felt my face heat up a bit. Thanks, Melanie.

"Anything else?" I asked, trying to ignore that.

"Oh, she said to take care of Ashley." She replied. I sat back, rubbing my eyes. Here we go.

"I'm glad you got the ex's permission."

"What?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Now that Melanie's gone, then you can-"

"I don't want Ashley, Rhett. I want you. Oh Rhett, I can't believe that I was such an idiot for so long. I never loved Ashley. I just loved the idea of him. One that I came up with. And because I was so in love with him, I couldn't see the truth."

"The truth?"

"That I love you Rhett. That all of this time I was upset about Ashley you were there for me. You took care of me and you were the one that I could talk to about my problems. Rhett, you were the one that I loved this entire time!" She exclaimed. I laughed.

"You're joking, right?" I said. She looked confused and hurt.

"No, why would I joke about something like that?" She said. I felt kind of bad looking at her.

"Scarlett, if you had told me that a few weeks earlier, then I would've been thrilled. But now…"

"Now what? I don't understand."

"Scarlett, we're in high school. I said stupid things. You and I, we're too young to know anything about love. I thought I was in love with you, but I was wrong. I'm sure that in some time, you'll realize that you're not in love too. You stopped being in love with Ashley as soon as you decided you loved me. Soon you'll decide that you're not in love me, and you'll be pining over some other sap." I said, closing my book and standing up.

"Rhett! What am I supposed to do without you?" She asked, tears streaming down her face. I stopped, kissed her on her right temple.

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

(Scarlett's POV)

Rhett left. I didn't even see him anymore after he did. But I wasn't too worried. I was Scarlett O'hara. I got what I wanted, even if it took me a while to get it. Rhett had once said that I was a lioness surrounded by gazelle. Well, I had set my sights on one, and I was going to begin hunting. Rhett said he wasn't in love with me, but I didn't believe him. And even if he was telling the truth, I would change that.

After all, tomorrow's a new day.


End file.
